Knit ornamented fabric



July 28, 1964 H. l.. MERRn-r 3,142,164v

KNIT oRNArmm-En FABRIC Filed Aug. 8, 1960 xNvENToR.- HUGH L.. MaszmTT RNEYS United States Patent() 3,142,164 KNIT GRNAMENTED FABRIC Hugh L. Merritt, Mount Airy, N.C., assignor to Renfro Hosiery Mills, Inc., Mount Airy, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Fiied Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,074 3 Claims. (Cl. 66-201) This invention relates generally to a circular knit ornamented fabric more particularly to a knit fabric and in which the ornamentation is formed by iloats and tufts of a wrap yarn which extend or project from the base fabric.

Generally, it is well known to utilize wrap yarns to ornament knit fabrics. In the most popular known method, the wrap yarn is knit in plated relationship with the body yarn of the base fabric in selected courses and floated inside of the other courses without interknitting. In this method, the plated wrap yarns form the ornamental design on the outside face of the fabric and the floated portions of the wrap yarns are hidden on the inside face of the fabric. An ornamental wrap yarn knit fabric of this general type is shown in the United States Patent No. 1,772,400, issued to Walter Larkin.

In the United States Patent No. 2,244,153, issued to Arthur O. Hanisch, another method of forming an ornaf mental knit fabric is disclosed. In this Hanisch patent, the floated portions of the wrap yarn are utilized to form the design, however, the floats of the wrap yarn are severed to forrn a design comprised solely of cut pile threads extending or projecting outwardly from the base fabric.

In the type of wrap yarn design disclosed in the Larkin patent, the range of pattern possibilities is limited to the number of different colors of wrap yarns which may be used and in the type of wrap yarn design disclosed in the Hanisch patent,.the range of pattern possibilities is limited to those designs which may be produced solely by cut pile. Also, in both of the above-noted patents, only a single wrap yarn is used in any given wale of the fabric and this limits the pattern or design possibilities.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide -a novel ornamented knit` fabric in which the main vbody of the design is formed of a plurality of parallel wrap yarn floats whichextend in a walewise direction and the upper and lower outline of the design is formed of outwardly extending tufts which are formed by cutting the wrap yarns closely adjacent the base fabric.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an ornamented fabric of the type above described in which the design is produced by alternately knitting, iloating and forming tufts of a single wrap yarn in certain wales of the design area while additionally knitting and forming tufts of a second wrap yarn in some of the wales in which the first wrap yarn is used.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental fabric of the type above described in which the wrap yarns are interknit with the body yarn for a group of courses to form an area of wrap stitches between certain of the walewise floats, the area of wrap stitches being visible on the ornamental face of the fabric.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental fabric of the type above described in 3,142,164 Y Patented July.2\8, 1964 which the wrap yarn is a multiiilament synthetic yarn which has been texturized to provide bulkiness whereby the wrap yarn floats and tufts of the design have a soft and fluffy appearance.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a sock with the .top turned down upon itself and illustrating a teddybear design which is typical of the many designs which may be formed by utilizing the wrap yarn in the manner disclosed in the present application;

FIGURE 2 is a greatly enlarged elevation of the central portion of the design shown in FIGURE 1, encompassing the area indicated by the dash-dot rectangle indicated at 2;

. FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of the lower portion of the first wale in the right-hand portion of FIGURE 2 and illustrating the manner in which two different wrap yarns are incorporated in the same wale;

FIGURE 4 is a somewhat schematic view at a reduced scale and looking at the left-hand edge of FIGURE 2 to illustrate the manner in which the wrap yarn floats and tufts extend outwardly from the base fabric.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the knit ornamented sock top or cuff is indicated broadly at 10 and the inside lower edge of this top, not shown, is attached to the upper edge portion of the leg 11 of the sock and then turned down upon itself to expose the ornamental design formed by the floats `and tufts of wrap yarns. The top 10 is usually knit on a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles and` means for feeding a wrap yarn to selected cylinder needles. The rib-knit top is then transferred tothe needles of a plain knitting machine to knit plain stitches in forming the leg 11 and foot, not shown, of the sock. However, it is to be understood that the complete sock may be knit on -a single machine having dial `and cylinder needles and means for feeding a Wrap yarn to selected needles.

"Since the top 10 is turned down, the portions of the`V fabric shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 would normally be' positioned inside of the tubular fabric as it is knit on the rib machine and it is this normally inwardly facing surface of the fabric on which the ornamental design of the present invention Vis formed. The design shown in FIGURE 1 forms the outline ofy a teddybear and includes a plurality of walewise floats 12, a plurality of tufts 13 which define the outline of the design, plated stitchesl 14 and vpattern tufts 15 design.

The enlarged view of the fabric shown in FIGURE'Z includes'enough of the pattern area of the'teddybear formed in medial portions of the design shownin FIGURE l'toV illustrate the manner in which the wrap'yarn is interknit with the base fabric to produce the floats, tufts and plated stitches in the` of the fabric W-1, W-S and W-S around the periphery of the tubular fabric are knit on cylinder needles while interverning Wales W-2 and W-4 are knit on the dial needles. The base fabric, indicated at 16, is formed of any suitable textured or untextured body yarn 17 to form plain stitch loops in each course and each Wale. It will be noted that the stitch loops in wales W-1, W-3 and W-S face rearwardly While the stitch loops in wales W-2 and W4 face forwardly in FIGURE 2 to form a rib-knit base fabric in the conventional manner.

Generally, to knit the ornamental design, Wrap yarns are introduced to certain of the cylinder needles in such a manner that the wrap yarn is Wrapped about the selected needles and subsequently knit in plated relationship with the body yarn for a predetermined number of courses, usually two courses. The wrap yarn is then withdrawn from active or feeding position to form a Walewise extending loat inside of the tubular fabric and then the wrap yarn is again introduced to and wrapped about cylinder needles to again form plated stitches with the body yarn 17.

In order to produce the desired result, it is preferred that the wrap yarn be formed of one of the sythetic textured yarns, such as Helanca which is desirable because of its high bulk and its soft fluffy appearance. The use of a textured wrap yarn causes the floats and tufts formed by the wrap yarn to appear lleecy or fluffy and make the design stand out in contrast to the rather smooth finish of the base fabric.

Knitting of the cuff progresses from the lower selvages upwardly and the design is formed by alternately introducing the wrap yarns to certain of the cylinder needles in different courses and then removing the wrap yarns from action to form the tufts 13 at the beginning of each Wale in the design area and to also form the oats 12 of the design area, as shown in FIGURE l.

Referring to FIGURE 2, during the knitting of course C-1, the body yarn 17 is fed to all the neeedles While the wrap yarns, indicated at in Wale JV-1, 30 in Wale W-3 and 40 in Wale W-S are in non-feeding position and float in a walewise direction. Prior to the formation of courses C-Z, C-3, C-4 and C-5, the wrap yarns 30 and 40 are Wrapped about the cylinder needles in the corresponding Wales W-3 and W-S so that they are subsequently knit in plated relation with the body yarn 17 during the formation of the courses C-Z, C-3, C-4 and C-S. The wrap yarn 20 remains in floating position during the formation of the courses C-Z and C-3 and is knit in plated relation with the body yard 17 during the formation of courses C-4, C-5, C-6 and C-7. The Wrap yarns alternate between inoperative or non-feeding position and operative or feeding position in the manner indicated in Wales W-1, W3 and W-S until they are each removed from feeding position following the knitting of course C-19.

Prior to the knitting of courses C-9 and C-l, While the wrap yarn 40 is being lloated, another Wrap yarn 4S, preferably of a different color than the wrap yarn 40, is fed to the cylinder needle in Wale W5 to form stitches with both the body yarn 17 and the wrap yarn 45 in courses C-9 and C-10 (FIGURE 3) with the ends of the wrap yarn 45 extending outwardly from the base fabric 16. When the ends of the wrap yarn 45 are clipped closely adjacent the base fabric, the ends of the wrap yarn 45 form tufts 15 which appear to be in the same Wale W-5 as the float of the wrap yarn 41) (FIGURES 2 and 3).

In Wale W-S, the wrap yarn 40 is knit in plated relationship with the body yarn 17 in courses C2 through C-S, courses C-11 and C-12, and courses C-18 and C-19 while it is floated across the courses C-G through C-ltl and courses C-13 through C-17. The wrap yarn 40 is removed from knitting action following the knitting of course C19 and subsequently cut closely adjacent 4 the base fabric to form the tuft 13 at the top of the Wale W-S in FIGURE 2.

In wale W-3, the Wrap yarn 3i) is knit in plated relationship with the body yarn 17 in courses C-2 through C-S, courses C-11 and C-12, and courses C-IS and C-19 while it is floated across courses C-6 through C-llt) and courses C-13 through C-17. The wrap yarn 30 is removed from knitting action following the knitting of course C-19 and subsequently cut closely adjacent the base fabric to form the tuft 13 at the upper end of the Wale W3.

In Wale W-I, the Wrap yarn 20 is knit in plated relationship with the body yarn in courses C-4 through C-7, courses C-11 and C-12, and C-lfi` and C-19 while it is floated across the courses C-l through C-3, courses C-S through C-ltl and courses C-13 through C-17. The wrap yarn Ztl is then removed from action following the knitting of the courses C-19 and subsequently cut closely adjacent the base fabric to form the tuft 13 at the upper end of the Wale W-l. While the wrap yarn 29 is floating across the courses C43 through C-17, another wrap yarn 25, preferably of a dillerent color than the Wrap yarn Ztl, is knit in plated relationship with the body yarn 17 in courses C-13 and C-14. The ends of the wrap yarn 25 are subsequently cut closely adjacent the base fabric to form tufts 15 which appear in the same Wale W-1 as the lloat of the wrap yarn 20.

It will be noted that the tufts 15 in Wale W-l form one eye of the teddybear design shown in FIGURE l while the tufts 15 in Wale W-S form the nose of the teddybear design. Also, the plated stitches 14 in courses C-lland C-S of wale W-1 and courses C-2 and (L3 of wales W-3 and W-S form the outline of the chin of the teddybear design.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the stitch structure of courses C-ll through C-13 of Wale W-S with the wrap yarns 40 and 45 being shown as conventional non-texturized yarns in order to clearly illustrate their relationship with the body yarn 17. Also, lloated portion of the wrap yarn 40 is moved to one side to help clearly illustrate the stitch formation therebeneath. In FIGURE 4, the base fabric 16 is schematically illustrated by the cross-sectioned area and this view shows the manner in which the lloats 12 and tufts 13 and 15 extend outwardly from the base fabric.

In the fabric illustrated, the wrap yarn is utilized in certain wales to form floats, plated stitches and tufts with only a single wrap yarn being utilized in these certain Wales While in other Wales, a pair of Wrap yarns are utilized. In the Wales in which two Wrap yarns appear, one of the wrap yarns is floated While the other Wrap yarn is incorporated in the fabric. By providing floats, plated stitches and tufts of a bulky textured wrap yarn, various ornamental designs may be produced and the designs may be easily changed by merely changing the manner the wrap yarn is fed to the needles of the knitting machine to thereby change the arrangement of floats and tufts.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specilic terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A knit ornamental fabric comprising a base fabric including wales and courses knit of a body yarn and a design area formed on one face thereof, said design composed entirely of Wrap yarns, said wrap yarns extending walewise of the base fabric and being interknit with said body yarn at predetermined spaced apart courses separated frorn each other by a plurality of courses to form walewise extending floats overlying the walewise stitches in the courses between said predetermined courses, the yarn forming the floats having a diameter at least as great wrap yarn is a texturized synthetic thermoplastic yarn. 10 3,013,379 Breen Dec. 19, 1961 

1. A KNIT ORNAMENTAL FABRIC COMPRISING A BASE FABRIC INCLUDING WALES AND COURSES KNIT OF A BODY YARN AND A DESIGN AREA FORMED ON ONE FACE THEREOF, SAID DESIGN COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF WRAP YARNS, SAID WRAP YARNS EXTENDING WALEWISE OF THE BASE FABRIC AND BEING INTERKNIT WITH SAID BODY YARN AT PREDETERMINED SPACED APART COURSES SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY A PLURALITY OF COURSES TO FORM WALEWISE EXTENDING FLOATS OVERLYING THE WALEWISE STITCHES IN THE COURSES BETWEEN SAID PREDETERMINED COURSES, THE YARN FORMING THE FLOATS HAVING A DIAMETER AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE WIDTH OF THE WALEWISE STITCHES POSITIONED THEREBENEATH TO THEREBY HIDE THE STITCHES FROM VIEW, AND TUFTS DEFINING THE OUTER EXTREMITIES OF SAID WRAP YARNS AND DESIGN AREA FORMED THEREBY. 